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[W180]Web Design For Dummies

by Malcolm Broderick, Mal

So you want to create your first web site but are feeling more than a little daunted by the thought. First step… relax. Just about everyone who has ever created a web site has been here before. The feeling is not uncommon. Perhaps one of the scariest things about the whole prospect of creating a web site is the sheer number of choices out there.

There is a phenomenon that I like to call the paralysis of choice. It goes like this… give me a choice between two or three items, no problem. That's easy. But now make it a choice between twenty items and a paralysis starts to set in. There are simply too many choices! And with people afraid of making the wrong choice, they decide that the safest choice is no choice at all. At least this way, they haven't made a mistake. So instead of getting wrapped-up in things like HTML, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Php, let's go more basic where there are fewer choices.

Do-It-Yourself

The first choice is whether to do it yourself or pay for someone else to do it. For many people, this one is decided by budget alone. Web sites built from scratch can cost a lot of money. So let's assume that you've already decided that you want or need to do-it-yourself otherwise you probably would have already shelled out the money and wouldn't be reading this article. Am I right?

Web-Based Services

The second choice is whether to use a web-based service or to construct the web site on your own computer. Many hosting services have built-in online web site building tools. While you can certainly construct a web site, the end results are usually pretty rudimentary. This avenue is probably just fine for a little personal web site, but most likely not enough to impress more important visitors, like clients and customers.

A Step Above

A step above the online web site building tool is the stand alone program that allows you to construct a web site without knowing any HTML or other types of coding. Among the better ones is Incomedia's Website X5 which comes in two flavors: Compact and Evolution. Think of these as personal and business.

You start from a number of template choices and then color combinations. Between those two elements alone, the chances of your site looking just like someone else's is pretty slim. The main idea of Website X5 is to divide each page into a grid. In each square of the grid you decide what's going to go there: text, a picture, a flash movie, or a slideshow, etc. Adding those elements is easy. Not bad. And it gets you an end product better than those online web site builders. But I'm still a less than wowed.

Web Templates

OK. As is usually typical I've saved the best for last! Unlike the canned web site templates that come with software like Microsoft's FrontPage (now dubbed Expression Web); professional web site templates are much more sophisticated and give you much more control over each design element. Each template typically comes with a list of software you would need to edit the template before you buy it. Higher level templates may require specialized software like Flash. But for a typical price of between $55 and $75 for most templates, this is short money compared to paying someone to design a web site from scratch.

Most templates also come with Adobe Photoshop (PSD) files. Even the low-cost Photoshop Elements can fully edit these. The beauty of this is that for the price of less than $100 you'll have the ability to edit every single little design element. This makes customizing your template much easier. For most templates, the only other software you would need is the design software like: FrontPage, Dreamweaver, Expression Web, SharePoint Designer, and more.

If you'd like to add Flash elements to your website, but can't afford Macromedia Flash (now Adobe Flash) there are the poor man's alternatives like SWiSHmax. SWiSHmax allows you to create Flash (SWF) files without having Flash and costs only a fraction of the price. Take a look at SWiSHzone on the web for more information. If you'd like to use SWiSH as an alternative, simply look for web templates that list SWiSH as one of the softwares.

Customizing

Many people don't realize that most templates can be professionally customized for an individual. Simply look for template customizing services where you buy your template. Since you are beginning with a template that you've picked out, you have a much better idea how it's going to turn out after some custom tweaking and there are fewer surprises. There's much less risk involved than with a web site designed from scratch.

You can generally save hundreds of dollars by starting with a template even after adding in custom tweaking if you prefer someone else to do it. Remember, you're not starting from scratch. You already have a fully function site, so the costs of editing a template are small compared with the cost of constructing a full web site.

Bottom Line

So for a novice like yourself that wants to do-it-yourself, you basically have three choices: 1) use a web-based service like the one than probably comes with your webhosting plan, 2) use standalone software like Incomedia's Website X5, or 3) start with a web site template. The results you can expect will probably increase in quality in the same order.

You made up your mind and then jumped. You contracted a website designer to help you get your message to the world. The feat is impressive.

Now make sure that message is what you intended it to be. Because you really only get one chance for that all-too-important first impression, make your time count.

Research indicates that your time is truly limited to less than two minutes to get your message across in the appropriate manner to snag a good first impression.

Your Website is being judged at all times.

Your audience will judge your site in those first fateful seconds and judge your performance – is it professional, appropriate and effective – and quickly make up their minds if you’re going to get their business.

The fact is a site can likely lose about thirty-three percent of its potential customers by inadequate design. Take a good, long look at your current site. Does it look professional? Would you use the services or buy the goods for your family or yourself? Does it seem harmonious? Is the site intuitive to navigate?

Does the site have attractive graphics with good colors? Is the formatting, font color, font size consistent on all the site’s pages? Or does your site commit design mistakes that speak amateur as soon as it loads? Does your site seem a little bit off, but you can’t quite figure out why?

There are many common and easy to look over mistakes website owners make than can cause their visitors to leave early, or leave frustrated. Be sure to avoid these common traps.

People are not Dumb

Don’t scatter “Under Construction" signs all over your site. This device is redundant and looks very unprofessional. If your site is not completely developed and published, people should not have the domain, or access. You wouldn’t let people in your new restaurant just to tell them they will have to come back later. Professionals know that timing the launch of your up and running website is key to getting your customers taken care of, getting them happy and insuring they will return. I wouldn’t go back to a closed restaurant – and I am surely not returning to a “coming soon" site.
Have much patience. Wait until the site is really ready. Then advertise, after you go live.

It will help you to avoid the loss of customers who are shy of the ‘under construction’ stigma.
Some site owners put vivid primary colored counters on every page. People are not fooled by counters.

The general public knows that the counters can be easily set to whatever numbers the owner wants. If you don't want to start your counter at zero, you can easily start it with hundreds of thousands of ‘visits’. Bold counter numbers raises a red flag for many visitors and may repel them faster than it attracts.

You will need more substantial traffic tracking tools if you want to convert visitors to customers effectively. Don’t use the counter. Its data is one dimensional and not likely to be accurate.
Many websites do not use copyright statements because they don’t realize that their site is valuable data that needs protection also.

Protect your web design

Some uninformed site owners don't know that their copyright is effective the moment their creative work is set in a fixed form, so they don’t know to put their stamp of ownership on all their work. Your work is your property, claim it. Post your copyright information at the bottom of every page.

First impressions are especially important on the web; today’s surfers won’t wait around for user-friendly, good design. Use some of these tips to think about your site and will likely understand how to stop turning your visitors away at the door.

Get inside your audience’s head, figure out what they want and don’t want. And then make sure your site is built around those likes and dislikes. Use your first few seconds to impress your visitors with powerful yet simple design that conveys your message succinctly.

Article Source : How Has Computers Changed

About Author

Both Malcolm Broderick & Jason Neal are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Malcolm Broderick has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet. . Malcolm Broderick's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.

Jason Neal has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet. I am the content developer for Tiger Team Solutions, LLC, and have been developing websites and content for the last two years. I previously was an Air Force Public Affairs officer, editor of two of the DoDs largest military newspapers. I am an honor grad. Jason Neal's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.